August 18th, 2029
Forbes Park, Makati
9:15 AM
Timothy sat in the second row of the TG Horizon MPV, watching the high walls roll past the tinted window. His mother, Evelyn, sat beside him. She wore a simple blouse and jeans, handbag on her lap, hands folded. She looked out the window without saying much.
Angela wasn't with them, she was in school. Timothy had insisted not to disrupt her classes. This wasn't an urgent matter.
The Horizon MPV moved steadily through the village roads. No honking, no stop-and-go traffic. The electric motor made barely any noise. The driver kept a steady pace, checking the map on the built-in display.
"Is this still Makati?" Evelyn asked quietly.
"It is."
"It doesn't feel like it."
He nodded.
"This is where the rich live, mama. The likes of politicians, celebrities, businessmen. Though I don't know about the politicians, who knows how they got the money to buy a property here. For sure it's from corruption."
